I would love the chance to go (and will sooner or later) We have Polish family on my mam's side and lost a few relatives in Auschwitz, met one of our Polish uncles a few years back and he told some harrowing stories about losing his parents there. He sadly died a couple of years ago. Funnily enough I've always wanted to do a German tour as well and I've not been there yet either.
Dates
· UTC
Auschwitz - Birkenau
Archived34 replies · 1,330 views
This is an archived legacy thread. Replies are closed, but the discussion is preserved.
← Back to Behind Closed Doors
Showing posts 31–35 of 35
↑ First post
Latest post ↓
Did both camps Saturday.
Auschwitz I is basically a museum now. The displays are harrowing: a room full of human hair, another display of spectacles, one room containing 40,000 pair of shoes and another which was simply full of suitcases with people's names daubed on the side.
Auschwitz I is small and contained and you go through maybe five information points and tourist desks before you even reach the infamous 'Arbeit Macht Frei' gates so it doesn't quite have the impact of Auschwitz II.
Birkenau (Auschwitz II) is a fcuking abomination. Words can't express. It's the human equivalent of an abbatoir, brutal in its simplicity. Incoming trains roll through the 'death-gate' straight into the sidings in the heart of the camp. From there, you were either gassed or, if considered fit for work, sent to one of the barracks to either side. It's difficult to comprehend the sheer scale of the place. From the top of the tower above the 'death-gate' there's basically barracks as far as the eye can see. Offensive in the extreme.
Was at Auschwitz & Birkenau around 2 years ago. Glad I went to see it but wouldn't go back there again if i'm ever in Krakow. Birkenau was very disturbing.
Been to a few Concentration Camps but none of the death camps. Sachsenhausen quite eerie, but also went to the transportation camp - Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia which was more stange - a holding camp whilst transportation to the Eastern death camps was arranged. This camp was used to fool the Red Cross into believing that the Death camps were in fact a myth and the Nazis even made a propaganda film showing Jewish people living happily in the camp. Most of those who appeared in the film were later gassed.
The best exhibition I've seen is the permanent Holocaust Museum in Washington which offers a good insight into the causes and effects of the persecutions.
